While the Orioles haven’t signed any major league free agents, they certainly have been busy scouring the baseball outbacks for prospects.

On Monday, they purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher Chase Mahon of the Frontier League’s Gateway Grizzlies. The 24-year-old Mahon was 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA in 33 games for the independent league team.

The Grizzlies play in Sauget, Illinois and some of their opponents are the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums and the River City Rascals. The Rascals play in that baseball hotbed, O’Fallon, Missouri.

One of Mahon’s teammates was John Shelby III, the son of the former Orioles outfielder and first base coach.

Mahon’s organized baseball career experience is just 18 days. After being drafted in the 22nd round by Colorado in 2011, he pitched in five games for Casper in the Pioneer League, allowing three runs in six innings.

The Orioles also signed Chase Johnson, a beefy right-handed pitcher. The 6-foot-4, 245 lb. Johnson is also 24, but he has a little more experience than Mahon. A 21st round pick of the Phillies in 2009, Johnson played three seasons in Philadelphia’s organization, reaching Lakewood of the South Atlantic League.

He was 5-5 with a 3.66 ERA in 44 games for independent league Amarillo with 11 saves.

Last year, Johnson was a teammate of former Texas Rangers’ right-hander Wes Littleton, who pitched for Buck Showalter in 2006.

While these signings are probably insignificant, the Orioles have some worthwhile experience with independent league players. Lew Ford, who hadn’t played in the majors for nearly five years, was signed from the Long Island Ducks. Stu Pomeranz, who pitched briefly with the Orioles before suffering a season-ending oblique strain, pitched in independent leagues in 2009.

The 29-year-old right-hander lives in Sarasota and had been working out at the Orioles' facility before spring training. Manager Buck Showalter watched Tillman throw and was impressed.

Tillman began last season on the disabled list with right shoulder stiffness.

"Better than he did last year at this time. I think he's got the chance to pitch well for somebody this year," Showalter said. "A lot of the challenges he had last year -- this time last year -- aren't there. Somebody's going to reap the benefits."

Tillman's is 73-55 with a 4.43 ERA in nine major league seasons, all with the Orioles. He won 16 games in both 2013 and 2016.

"He's a guy when he's healthy you can bank on him giving you 200 innings and keeping his ERA between a 3 and a 4," Gausman said. "That in the AL East is always going to be very valuable."

Live baseball is close to gracing our television screens again. The Orioles haven't had the most active offseason, to put it mildly. Fans are still wondering who will make up more than half the spots in this year's rotation, and Manny Machado's upcoming free agency is looming over every decision the organization makes.

Still, it's exciting to be able to follow the team again. Not every game is televised, so get ready to constantly refresh your favorite beat writer's Twitter account for all your updates.

Even without getting to watch the games, it'll be comforting to once again check box scores in the morning to see if Jonathan Schoop is building on his breakout season, or if top-prospect Austin Hays is all he's cracked up to be (spoiler: he is).

This year's spring training will be especially interesting, considering how many big-name players will be signing in the next few weeks. The O's haven't yet made a big splash this offseason, but with the sheer volume of capable players still on the market, you have to wonder if they'll try to sign some impact players at bargain values.

Typically, the excitement of adding a new piece to the lineup or rotation has to be reignited after a long winter off, but this season, those additions will be taking place while camp is already underway.

It's going to be a hectic few weeks as teams prepare for thier seasons, so bookmark this page to check on on the Orioles spring training schedule over the next few weeks as the team finally takes the field in 2018.